


A Nameless Story

by GuardianDemon13



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: AU where Cryptids exist, AU where magic exists, Ghost Project, Ghouls, Mention of passed Abuse, Other, Satan - Freeform, Satanic Church, Tags Will Update As Story Progresses, Travel, ghost au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25022869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianDemon13/pseuds/GuardianDemon13
Summary: Follow the story of Opal. She is trying to survive after being estranged by her abusive, religious family. She attended a prestigious college and received a Doctorate in Cryptology and Cryptozoology. She is sent a strange letter inviting her to help a company research something that would put her unique Doctorate to use.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	A Nameless Story

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Welcome to my story. This is a constant work in progress, and I will update tags as I go. As of now, I have a very vague idea as to where I'd like this story to go, however, I love suggestions!

Opal looked out the window of the small van she was riding in. Her driver was silent. In the rearview mirror hung an ornately decorated cross, covered in sequins and glitter glue. She smiled softly, remembering when she used to bring home her holy artwork from school. Her parents would coo over how pretty it was, and how God had blessed their little angel with such talent. She was no longer a child, and no longer felt God’s blessings. 

Her devout family were obsessed with the teachings of Christ. Anybody who didn’t follow the word of God were not worthy of their time, which is what happened to her. Opal wished to study Science and Art. It was apparently the final straw for her family, who (barely) tolerated her fascination with the pursuit of knowledge, always stating that the Devil tempted Eve with the Forbidden Fruit, damning the world with what she learned.

She never viewed it that way. The snake was just trying to show Eve that there is more to the world than just the Garden. That there is magic and self-fulfillment in knowing things. Her family was not a kind group of people, even while pledging to uphold the words of Jesus to their friends, they turn around and manipulate the seemingly innocent words to suit their selfish needs.

Opal never truly felt like she was worthy in her family’s eyes. All the things that she accomplished, from graduating top of her class, moving out, becoming a respected member in the field of crypto-anthropology… Nothing seemed to impress them. 

Opal’s mother would recall her birth with spite, her breath pungent with alcohol.

“I wanted more god-fearing children, but you cursed my womb. That’s why you’re named Opal. A curse for a curse,” Opal’s mother would slur out before slamming the bedroom door closed. Opal never understood what that meant. She would hold her breath, waiting to hear the slamming of the door to her parent’s bedroom before pulling out her favorite book. Apparently, there has been a breakthrough in the study of cryptozoology and crypto-anthropology. If her mother and father ever found this book, she would suffer dearly. 

And she did suffer dearly. 

She winced as she nervously rubbed her thighs with her sweaty palms. 

These thoughts of her family left a bitter taste of bile in the back of her throat as she watched the scenery pass. She delicately swiped a finger under her eyes, removing the sensation of angry tears from her lashes. Opal hated that she still shed tears for her estranged family. Tears that they didn’t deserve, and that they would never cry for her.

She saw that her driver was glaring at her, and she turned her body more fully to the window, the weight of his gaze palpable through the rearview mirror. She attempted to ignore the man’s stare and focus on the view. 

The countryside was beautiful. The road was a well-maintained dirt highway, so well-maintained that she mused that it was probably only used by the farmers in the area. In between long stretches of dense pine woods, were small cottages with acres of farmland. She saw a cattle farm on one side of the road, and the woods on the other, and then woods for 20 minutes, then another farm. The early morning mist made the cattle fields shimmer like a dream, and the woods look like they could carry you away to another world. 

She found it amusing that a country such as this had any space for farmland and woods. She looked at her phone at the email that was sent. She had it memorized at this point, but she had to see it again. 

Opal,

We wish to inform you that we have a project that will need your help. We have been following your educational track very closely. We believe you are uniquely qualified to assist us in our home office. Attached is the description of the position, your salary, and what to expect while you are here. 

We wish to inform you that for the time being, it is a one-year contract, and at the end of the year we will reevaluate to see if it is beneficial to extend our agreement.

We also wish to inform you that you will find very little of our organization in public documents. See the attached document for more information.

We wish to inform you that we have attached information regarding travel to our office, reimbursement of expenditures due to travel, which include, but are not limited to: hotels and amenities, lease breaking, food and beverage costs, and the like. 

We anxiously await your arrival,

N Ghoul

Opal thought it strange that an organization reached out to her. Her educational track wasn't anything to write home about. She only went for a PhD to prove to herself that she actually could earn one, and then she wound up falling in love with her studies. Too bad crypto-anthropology didn't pay the bills in a town with only one stop light.

The driver coughed loudly, which startled Opal from her thoughts. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"Why are you going to the Domorem?" He asked quickly, almost breathless. 

Opal didn't know how to answer. "I was hired to work there for a year."

The driver nodded stiffly. He glanced back at her through the rearview mirror. 

"It's cursed, you know," he muttered, as he turned onto a barely visible road. "Domorem doesn't let outsiders into the sanctum. People who try to sneak in, kids who go on a dare… they usually come back… changed…" the driver said. He quickly crossed himself, and Opal had to physically resist the urge to flinch. 

She didn't reply. Her heart thudded against her ribs as she let her gaze wander over the vast expanse of woods. 

The driver was taking this road slowly. It was unpaved, and the dirt wasn't manicured. The shocks on the driver's car groaned every time he drove over a particularly deep pothole. 

Opal winced with every jostle and bounce of the car, hoping that it would survive the trek. Suddenly, the road smoothed out. It was a jarring sensation, to go from rough dirt and rocks to smooth asphalt. In the sudden silence, she heard her driver muttering a prayer for the safety of himself, the car, and even her. 

Opal smiled weakly, loathing the sound of a prayer uttered for her. It reminded her of her family, again. ‘Why am I thinking so much of those awful people?’ Opal thought to herself. Her mind started to drift to the abuse of these prayers, when suddenly the car stopped moving. 

She looked at her driver, who was turned to face her.   
“I go no further. Your phone is charged, yes?” he asked as she handed him an envelope of money. He hesitated in taking it, but gently plucked it from her grasp. 

“How do I reach this place?” Opal asked quietly. She was used to being shorted, but she didn’t believe that she would be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with no way to reach her final destination. She hoped that, anyway. 

The driver opened his door to help take her two suitcases from the trunk. He slammed the trunk shut once everything of Opal's was removed. He looked like he was struggling to find the words to answer her. Was the answer truly that complicated?

“Honestly, Miss? I have no clue. I’ve never been out here, and you’re the first person in a long time to be invited.” He said, sitting back down into the driver’s seat. “I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to. The curse, you know?” His lip twitched, looking at her for permission to leave. 

“Uh, yeah. Thanks. I’ll call the number I booked you with if I need to get back?” Opal asked. She tightened her grip on her suitcases.

“Sure,” He said. He slammed the door to his car, and made a U-turn, leaving Opal alone. She watched the car drive away, and moved only when it was out of her sight.

She sighed and slowly spun in a circle. She could hear the car’s engine fade into the distance, and the quiet chirp of crickets permeated the air. Other than that, it was a quiet road. 

She adjusted her backpack straps, making sure that it wouldn’t ride too low on her back. Her suitcases were on wheels, which she was thankful for as she started to walk in the opposite direction of the car that just abandoned her. 

* * *

While she walked, she noticed that there were cameras mounted every 100 yards or so. When she passed one, she would stare into it, making it a game for how long it took her to find the next one. She walked for an hour before she heard a quiet thrum of a car approaching. She looked behind her, and when she didn’t see a car, looked ahead, focusing on the road instead of finding the next camera. In the distance she saw a car, sleek, black, and almost out of place in the picturesque backdrop of the woods. 

She stepped off the road to let the car pass, her suitcases following her with a slight jerk. She waited, watching the car slow its approach until it stopped just before reaching her. Opal let go of her suitcases. She wasn’t sure who was in the car, but she wanted to make sure that she had room to run if needed.

The driver door opened, and a tall, slender woman stepped out. She had a warm smile that did not reach her eyes. The suit that the woman wore was crisp and black. The greying blonde hair was tied back in a severe knot at the base of her neck. 

“Hello, Opal. I am here to escort you the rest of the way to the compound. Ghoul should have sent someone to meet you, but that will be addressed later. I am Imperator. You can address me as Sister Imperator, or Ma’am. Is that understood?” 

Opal stared at the woman, unsure of what to do. She picked up the suitcases that she let fall, and slowly wheeled them to the rear of the car. Imperator popped the trunk, and watched as Opal lifted the baggage into the car.

Imperator nodded once Opal gently shut the rear of the car with a firm thunk.

“The back seat is most comfortable. Our… Company head uses this car the most frequently, there is water and simple accommodations should you need. I recommend the roasted almonds if you are hungry,” Imperator mused. Opal opened the passenger door and marveled at the luxury of this seemingly standard car.

From the outside, it looked like a simple, yet expensive sedan. On the inside it was pure excess. The seats looked to be made of the finest italian leather, the floor of the car had a dense and plush carpet. To the left was a small bar stocked with a single bottle of champagne, and a decanter labeled “water” with a bucket of ice between them. Beautiful cut crystal cups and champagne flutes were on a small shelf below the drinks, each with intricate designs carved into them.

To Opal’s right was a small snack bar. The wooden bowls had dried fruits and nuts in them. The wooden bowls were as ornately carved as the crystal glasses, and their patterns matched.

‘Interesting that they would have wood and crystal in such an opulent car,’ Opal thought to herself as she reached for a small glass and the decanter of water. 

She took out her phone to see if she had any service. She had a single bar, which allowed a message to come through. She didn’t recognize the number, but she knew who it was from. 

‘Father May said that you could still be forgiven if you repent.’

She stared blankly and clicked through the options on her phone to block yet another number that her family found to text her from. They learned long ago that she never answered a telephone call.

After she put the phone away, she glanced out the window. The dense trees were starting to slowly fade away. After about 20 minutes of driving, Sister Imperator slowed down the car. Opal looked ahead to see an amazing work of architecture.

The impossibly tall wall was made of massive slabs of stone. From her studies, it looked to be mostly local, but what was impressive was that the stones formed mosaics of the most wretched art.

The facade of the wall had images of ancient demons, modern monsters, and regular people. Opal was fascinated to see that there were dragons, quetzalcoatl, mermaids… pictures of various demons, like Lilith, Hinn, Naamah, Ishtar... 

All these were made from what look like precious stones and metals. Lilith’s eyes flashed red, garnets making up her irises, while her sister’s eyes, Naamah’s eyes, shimmered a brilliant silver. The smoky quality of the Hinn’s skin was shown with smokey quartz, his hair made from the blackest of onyx.

Opal’s mouth gaped at the absolutely stunning work of art that was the wall surrounding her new job and home.

Sister Imperator glanced back at her through the rearview mirror. “One of the many exquisite pieces you will be able to enjoy while you are here. Before we go any further, I need to see your backpack and phone.” Opal held Imperator’s gaze as she handed the older woman her backpack and phone.

Imperator plugged the phone into a wire. Opal couldn’t see where the wire led to, but wherever it ended, it unlocked her phone. Opal was watching attentively, her phone screen flashing various codes and symbols, some she understood, and some looked to be nonsense. 

After about ten minutes, Imperator unplugged her phone, and reached into Opal’s backpack. 

“If you are looking for other electronics, Ma’am, I sold them to get here,” Opal murmured quietly.

Sister Imperator, when she heard this, turned her body around to look Opal straight on. Opal held her gaze. Sister Imperator was nowhere near as terrifying as her father. The corner of Sister Imperator’s lip twitched.

“As much as I would like to waste my time with a pissing contest, I have other, more important things to take care of,” Imperator said dryly, "I have copies of all of the documents you signed, however there is one more, a sort of non-disclosure form." She turned around and the car started to move forward. “We will provide you with a… Company issued computer. The only thing we watch for are certain illegal things, and we watch communications regarding private and sensitive material that pertains to the… Company. You will find that we are not one to restrict our contractors. Feel free to download and watch adult movies to your heart’s content. What you do with your free time is your own business.”

Opal’s eyes widened at the mention of adult movies. ‘Surely this is something that…’ She never got to finish her thought, as the Sister pulled into a lot and spoke. 

“For the time being, if you have any issues, you can bring them to me. Until we establish a more permanent superior for you to report to, you only report to me. Is that understood?” Sister Imperator’s eyes flashed in the rearview mirror to look back at Opal. 

Opal looked back at Sister Imperator. The woman’s eyes were bright and full of passion. 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Opal said quietly.

"Welcome to the Ghost Project."

Imperator opened the car door and stepped out. Opal sat for a moment, taking a breath. She then opened her door and gathered her things.

Imperator walked down a well kept and ornately designed cobbled path. Opal was not too far behind, her rolling suitcases making a clicking sound every time she rolled over a new stone. 

"Before you are allowed to enter the building proper, you must sign the non-disclosure form," Imperator stated as she and Opal walked through a heavy wood and iron door. The door looked to be made of ancient and well cared for wood. It had a sheen of wax, and the ironwork on the hinges and handles were polished and smooth to the touch.

The doors opened to a comfortably large waiting room. There was a beautiful stone concierge desk by the door. Oversized tufted velvet chairs were scattered around to simulate intimacy. The chairs were beautiful shades of silver and black. In the center of these gatherings of chairs were antique looking coffee tables. The legs of the tables were of carved wood, with impeccable detail of flowers and vines, and the tops were meticulously inlaid with detailed images of various wildlife scenes made of wood.  Opal noted that most of the scenes depicted a hunt of some kind, and the main feature was of the predator. Imperator perched delicately in one of the velvet chairs, gesturing Opal to do the same. She tried to carefully sit, but she didn't realize just how plush the seats were and plopped down into the cushioned chair. They were surprisingly comfortable for how stiff they looked. Finally finished with her journey, Opal gently rubbed her eyes. Imperator handed her over a very thick document and the text started to blur her vision the moment she tried to read it. She sighed. 

"Where do I sign?" Opal murmured. She has been traveling several days, and did not sleep well. She was exhausted, and the lack of rest was finally catching up to her. 

"Do you not wish to read the form? You should make sure that it is something that you are willing to partake in..." Imperator asked, a slight frown curled her lips. 

"I would. To be frank, ma'am, I'm exhausted. I've been traveling the past few days, and gotten very little sleep. If I may, could I sleep in the car for a few hours, and then read through the form? I don't wish to be any disturbance-" Opal started. 

Imperator raised her hand and Opal stopped her sleep-deprived rambling. 

"You are not allowed to sleep in the car," Imperator started. Opal's eyes fell. "However, we have guest lodgings near here. They're very simple, but it has a bed and bathroom. If I'd have known, I would have brought you there first." Imperator picked up the form and placed it into a simple leather portfolio with a strange symbol embossed on the front. 

"This has information about how to contact me if you chose to sign the form or not. It also gives you an insight as to what your talents will be utilized for. Nothing too detailed, since you're not officially hired until you sign the form," Imperator started, she tapped the portfolio as she and Opal walked back out of the waiting room into the open air. 

Opal nodded, barely keeping track of what Imperator said. They walked in silence for a few moments, following a path that led to what looked like a satellite office building similarly styled to the gemstone covered wall that they drove through earlier on. This facade had oceanic creatures, like sirens and hydra in mosaic form flashed with a shimmery, iridescent light. 

Sister Imperator produced a key card and swiped it over the magnetic reader, and held the door open for Opal as she carried her suitcases into the building.

The interior of the building was just as exquisite as the exterior. The windows were made of stained glass, so the room was painted in rich jewel toned colors. The windows matched the themes of the mosaic outside, though they showed smaller creatures, like kappas. 

"This company seems to really like it's cryptozoology," Opal murmured, her tired eyes lighting up at the museum quality mounting of a hippocampus skeleton. 

"We pride ourselves on our… unique stance on cryptids," Imperator's lip twitched as she finished her sentence. "I will show you to your accomodations and leave you with some contact information. I will have Ghoul bring you some food and basic amenities for the bathroom. Are you allergic to anything?" 

Opal shook her head. 

"Very well. This will be the key to the room you choose. All the locks are electronic and magic protected. I'll send Ghoul down in a few hours with a meal."

Imperator turned to leave. When Opal heard the door click shut, she took a deep breath and sighed. She looked at the lightweight plastic in her hand. The key card had the same symbol that the portfolio had. Opal smirked when she realized it was a G with an upside down cross through it. 

She slipped the card into her pocket and grabbed her bags. She saw four doors with key card locks on them and picked one randomly. The door was locked, so Opal dropped the smaller of her suitcases and grabbed the key card from her pocket. When she heard the beep and click, she turned the door handle and walked into the room, fumbling for a light. When she found it, she gasped.

The room was stunning! A huge bed, a decent sitting area, and a small dining area took up the massive space. In front of the bed was an exquisite tapestry of mermaids and sirens in battle. The mermaids utilizing more human artifacts, like armor, and the sirens using organic materials for defense. Everything in the room matched the grand tapestry on display. The greens, reds, yellows, and pinks of the aquatic creatures were played up in the throw pillows in the sitting area. The dining table was a rich oak, and brought out the more simplistic tools of aquatic warfare. 

The blue and green of the ocean itself was displayed in the bed. The silken duvet cover looked ethereal and almost alive. The silk shimmered blue one moment, then green the next. The pillows a soft, almost misty grey. 

Opal ran her hands delicately over the silk of the bed, staring at the tapestry. The small sitting area had a rich, blue upholstery, with delicate silver threads throughout. When Opal moved, it was like watching a wave crest in the ocean. The oriental rug under the beautifully upholstered chairs was simple. It looked to be a solid blue, and emphasized the furniture sitting atop it. 

She took off her pants and bra, not wanting to get fully undressed, and snuggled under the luxurious covers. She sighed, the bed was perfect, it was supportive but firm. The pillows were dense, but plush, and soon, Opal slipped into a comfortable sleep.


End file.
